TWI800097B - A curved plastic panel and method and device for fabricating the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for fabricating a curved plastic panel is to first form a hard coating layer, an optical function layer, and a printed layer on a flat plastic substrate, and then cut it into a predetermined shape, and then use a curved-surface hot pressing device to perform a curved-surface hot pressing process to the flat plastic substrate in order to make it becoming a curved plastic substrate. Since the hard coating layer, optical function layer, printing layer and CNC cutting are all processed on the flat plastic substrate, the production yield rate is very high. The curved-surface hot pressing device can simultaneously perform hot pressing during the heating process, and has the functions of real-time monitoring of the local temperature and the local curvature forming state, and then feedback to the local heating and curvature forming mechanism for adjustments. The monitoring of temperature and curvature can be divided into multiple stages, which can be monitored stage by stage and adjusted for heating or curvature forming to improve production yield. The invention further improves the ductility of the polymer surface to the level of hot bending processing through polymer material formula, coating formula design and precise coating technology, and can maintain the original optical and physical properties after passing various weather resistance tests.

Description

Curved plastic panels and their processing methods and apparatus

This invention relates to a curved plastic panel and its processing method and apparatus, particularly to a processing method and apparatus for first depositing a rigid layer and an optical functional layer on a flat plastic substrate and then hot-pressing it to form a curved plastic panel.

Traditional automobiles mostly use glass for sunroofs, windshields, and the front panel of in-vehicle displays. However, due to the disadvantages of glass, such as its weight, fragility, and difficulty in shaping, translucent plastic sheets have been developed in recent years to replace traditional glass in the manufacture of sunroofs, windshields, and in-vehicle display front panels. In particular, because in-vehicle displays need to better fit the curved design of the vehicle's interior, some manufacturers have begun to explore curved in-vehicle displays to replace traditional flat displays. However, one of the biggest challenges in designing curved in-vehicle displays is the material and manufacturing process of the curved panel covering the front of the display.

Traditional curved glass panels require first thermoforming flat glass into curved glass using ultra-high temperature thermoforming, followed by surface grinding and polishing, and finally optical surface treatment (such as anti-glare or anti-reflective coatings). Controlling the uniformity of the coating distribution is extremely difficult on curved substrates, especially for anti-reflective coatings which require a thickness uniformity of +/- 10nm to meet the requirement of <1% reflectivity for automotive front panels. Achieving this specification is already quite difficult on flat panels, and it is almost impossible on curved panels.

Of course, in recent years, technologies for using plastic materials to manufacture automotive display panels have also been developed. There are many types of plastics, among which engineering plastics made of polycarbonate (PC) are particularly suitable for manufacturing transparent substrates with curved surfaces or special structures, replacing fragile and difficult-to-shape glass sheets, due to their high transparency, free colorability, high strength and elasticity, high impact strength, wide operating temperature range, low molding shrinkage, good dimensional stability, good weather resistance, and being odorless, tasteless, and harmless to the human body, meeting hygiene and safety requirements, as well as being easily moldable. However, polycarbonate (PC) also has disadvantages such as poor abrasion resistance and a tendency to yellow under ultraviolet radiation. Therefore, in the prior art, a wear-resistant hard layer and an optical functional layer are added to the outer surface of a polycarbonate (PC) substrate to improve its wear resistance, UV resistance, glare resistance, and anti-reflection capabilities.

However, conventional technology still faces significant challenges in manufacturing curved plastic panels. Figure 1 shows a typical structural diagram of a curved plastic panel. Generally, curved plastic panels suitable for curved automotive displays consist of: a plastic substrate, a hard coating (HC), an optical functional layer, and a printing layer. The plastic substrate is typically made of polycarbonate (PC) sheet as the main layer, with polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) sheets deposited on the upper and lower surfaces of the PC sheet to enhance its physical properties. The hard coating is usually formed on the outer surface of the plastic substrate to improve the wear resistance of the plastic panel. Optical functional layers are typically formed on a rigid layer to improve the optical performance of the plastic panel, such as, but not limited to, UV resistance, glare reduction, and anti-reflection. Printed layers are usually printed on the inner surface of the plastic substrate to display the functional specifications of the automotive display.

Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of a conventional processing method for curved plastic panels, which includes the following steps: Step 21: A flat plastic substrate (commonly known as a raw board) is produced by plastic extrusion molding; this plastic substrate may be a single-layer PC board, a PMMA/PC double-layer composite board, or a PMMA/PC/PMMA triple-layer composite board; Step 22: The flat plastic substrate is hot-pressed into a curved plastic substrate by hot pressing; Step 23: The curved plastic substrate is subjected to HC surface treatment to form an HC hard layer on the upper surface of the curved plastic substrate; then... Because curved plastic substrates are difficult to surface-treat with HC, the yield is poor; Step 24: Perform optical surface treatment on the curved plastic substrate to form an optical functional layer on the HC hard layer of the curved plastic substrate; however, because curved plastic substrates are difficult to surface-treat with optical surface, the yield is poor; Step 25: Perform printing processing on the curved plastic substrate to form a printed layer on the lower surface of the curved plastic substrate; however, because curved plastic substrates are difficult to print, the yield is poor; Step 26: Use planar computer numerical control (Computer) to process the curved plastic substrate. Numerical Control (CNC) machining is used to cut the curved plastic substrate into a predetermined shape. However, curved plastic substrates are difficult to machine using planar CNC machining, resulting in poor yield. Step 27: The finished curved plastic panel is completed. Due to the cumulative effect of the defect rates from steps 23 to 26, the final yield is very low, indicating room for improvement.

Figures 3A, 3B, and 3C illustrate a conventional method for hot-pressing a planar plastic substrate into a curved plastic substrate. The conventional method for hot-pressing a planar plastic substrate 221 into a curved plastic substrate involves first heating the planar plastic substrate 221 to a predetermined temperature in an oven to soften it, and then transferring the softened planar plastic substrate to a molding machine. This molding machine has upper and lower molds 222 and 223 with fixed shapes and invariable curvature. The heated flat plastic substrate 221 is placed between the upper and lower molds 222 and 223 (as shown in Figure 3A). Then, the upper and lower molds 222 and 223 are driven by a hydraulic cylinder to overlap and press the plastic substrate 221a located therein (as shown in Figure 3B). This causes the plastic substrate 221a to be deformed into a curved plastic substrate 221a that matches the upper and lower molds. Then, it is removed (as shown in Figure 3C). This conventional hot-pressing technique not only suffers from uneven temperature distribution on the plastic substrate 221 (with faster heat dissipation in the outer areas resulting in lower temperatures during molding, while the central area experiences slower heat dissipation and higher temperatures), but also exhibits stress concentration at the bends 229 of the plastic substrate 221a where curvature is significant. Therefore, if a planar plastic substrate with pre-formed hard and optical functional layers is hot-pressed using this conventional technique, significant defects will occur at the bends 229 where curvature is significant, leading to hard layer brittleness and uneven thickness of the optical functional layer. This renders the hot-pressed curved plastic substrate 221a unusable and unable to pass product testing.

Traditional polymer substrate curvature forming involves first heating the polymer substrate to a temperature higher than the polymer's softening point (Tg; glass transition temperature), then transferring the substrate into a hot press mold for curvature hot pressing. Temperature variations in the substrate caused by heat convection from room temperature air during the transfer process affect the curvature and contour accuracy of the hot press. Longer transfer times lead to longer cooling times, making it more difficult to control substrate temperature uniformity, and consequently, worsening the control over curvature and contour accuracy. Therefore, reducing transfer and cooling times is more beneficial for controlling curvature and contour accuracy. The ideal process design involves simultaneous high-temperature heating and curvature forming within an automated mold. The key feature of this invention is the sensing element that can monitor local temperature and curvature in real time, and provide feedback to the heating and hot-pressing mechanisms to adjust them in real time until the sheet material reaches the optimal molding temperature and target curvature.

The main objective of this invention is to provide a processing method for curved plastic panels. This method involves first forming a rigid layer, an optical functional layer, and a printed layer on a flat plastic substrate. Then, a CNC cutting machine is used to cut the flat plastic substrate into a predetermined shape. Finally, a curved hot pressing device is used to perform curved hot pressing processing, resulting in a curved plastic substrate with the rigid layer, optical functional layer, and printed layer, and the predetermined shape. This processing method can not only produce multifunctional polymer material panels for partially or fully curved displays, but also possesses the advantages of optical functionality (anti-reflection or anti-glare) and safety against cracking. Furthermore, since the hard layer, optical functional layer, printed layer, and CNC machining are all performed on a planar plastic substrate, the yield rate is very high, overcoming various shortcomings of conventional technologies.

Another objective of this invention is to provide a processing apparatus for curved plastic panels, comprising an original curved hot pressing device capable of simultaneous hot pressing during heating. This device features real-time monitoring of local temperature and curvature forming status, providing feedback to the heating mechanism for adjustment. Temperature and curvature monitoring can be divided into multiple stages, with each stage monitored and adjusted for heating or curvature forming. This improves the production yield of hot pressing curved plastic panels from planar plastic substrates with rigid layers, optical functional layers, and printed layers, and enables the hot pressing of fully curved or partially curved plastic panels.

Another objective of this invention is to provide a material composition for the rigid layer and optical functional layer of curved plastic panels suitable for the processing method of this invention. Through polymer material formulation, coating formulation design, and precision coating technology, the surface extensibility of the polymer can be improved to a level suitable for hot bending, and the original optical and physical properties can be maintained after passing various weather resistance tests.

To achieve the above objectives, this invention discloses a method for processing a curved plastic panel, comprising: providing a planar plastic substrate; forming a planar hard layer on at least one surface of the planar plastic substrate. Coating (abbreviated as HC); forming a planar optical functional layer on the rigid layer of the planar plastic substrate; forming a planar printed layer on at least one surface of the planar plastic substrate; cutting the planar plastic substrate by a cutting machine to form a planar plastic substrate with a predetermined shape; and performing a curved hot pressing process on the planar plastic substrate with the rigid layer, the optical functional layer and the printed layer formed thereon and having the predetermined shape using a curved hot pressing device, so as to form a curved plastic substrate having the rigid layer, the optical functional layer and the printed layer and having the predetermined shape; wherein, the A curved hot pressing apparatus includes: an upper mold with variable curvature, a lower mold with variable curvature, a plurality of upper heaters, a plurality of upper temperature sensors, a plurality of lower heaters, and a plurality of lower temperature sensors; the plurality of upper heaters and the plurality of upper temperature sensors are distributed in various areas of the upper mold, and the plurality of lower heaters and the plurality of lower temperature sensors are distributed in various areas of the lower mold; the upper mold and the lower mold are correspondingly fitted and each can at least partially adjust its curvature; the curved hot pressing apparatus performs curved hot pressing processing on a flat plastic substrate by adjusting the curvature of the upper mold and the lower mold to be flat, The planar plastic substrate is sandwiched between the upper mold and the lower mold, and the temperature of the planar plastic substrate is heated to a predetermined temperature by a plurality of upper heaters and a plurality of lower heaters. A plurality of upper temperature sensors and a plurality of lower temperature sensors are used to sense and confirm that the temperature of each area of the planar plastic substrate is maintained at the predetermined temperature. The curvature of the upper mold and the lower mold is adjusted to a first curvature, so that the planar plastic substrate sandwiched between the upper mold and the lower mold is processed by the upper mold and the lower mold into a curved plastic substrate with the first curvature. Simultaneously, the plurality of upper temperature sensors and... The plurality of lower temperature sensors continue to sense and confirm that the temperature of each region of the curved plastic substrate with the first curvature is maintained at the predetermined temperature; and the curvature of the upper mold and the lower mold is adjusted to a second curvature, such that the curved plastic substrate sandwiched between the upper mold and the lower mold is processed by the upper mold and the lower mold into a curved plastic substrate with the second curvature; simultaneously, the plurality of upper temperature sensors and the plurality of lower temperature sensors continue to sense and confirm that the temperature of each region of the curved plastic substrate with the second curvature is maintained at the predetermined temperature; wherein the curvature of the second curvature is greater than the first curvature.

Preferably, the curved hot pressing apparatus further includes a plurality of cameras for capturing curvature images of the upper mold and the lower mold, thereby determining whether the curvature of the curved plastic substrate has reached a predetermined curvature.

Preferably, the upper mold includes at least a first upper template, a second upper template, and a third upper template; the first upper template and the second upper template are connected by a first upper joint, allowing the first upper template to perform curvature adjustment relative to the second upper template via the first upper joint; the second upper template and the third upper template are connected by a second upper joint, allowing the third upper template to perform curvature adjustment relative to the second upper template via the second upper joint; the lower mold includes at least a first lower template, a second lower template, and a third lower template; the first lower... The first lower template and the second lower template are connected by a first lower joint, allowing the first lower template to adjust its curvature relative to the second lower template via the first lower joint; the second lower template and the third lower template are connected by a second lower joint, allowing the third lower template to adjust its curvature relative to the second lower template via the second lower joint; wherein the shape and position of the first upper template correspond to the first lower template, the shape and position of the second upper template correspond to the second lower template, and the shape and position of the third upper template correspond to the third lower template.

Preferably, the upper heater and the upper temperature sensor are respectively provided in the first upper template, the second upper template, and the third upper template; the lower heater and the lower temperature sensor are respectively provided in the first lower template, the second lower template, and the third lower template; each of the first upper joint, the second upper joint, the first lower joint, and the second lower joint includes a linear slide rail, and the curvature between adjacent templates is adjusted by means of the torque driven by the linear slide rail.

Preferably, the material composition of the plastic substrate of the plane is one of the following: polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) sheet, polycarbonate (PC) sheet, PMMA/PC double-layer composite sheet, or PMMA/PC/PMMA triple-layer composite sheet; the composition of the rigid layer includes at least one of the following: organic-inorganic hybrid UV-curable oligomers/monomers, inorganic particle materials, or UV-curable long-chain oligomers/monomers with high elongation characteristics (elongation >200%); wherein the organic-inorganic hybrid UV-curable oligomers/monomers include one of the following: high glass transition temperature (Tg) and its Tg UV-curable elastic oligomers at 120℃, or high Tg monomers (Tg 240℃); the optical functional layer comprises at least one of the following: high refractive index (Refractive) The term "index" (RI) refers to UV-curable oligomers/monomers, high-RI inorganic materials, low-RI UV-curable oligomers/monomers, or low-RI inorganic materials. The high-RI inorganic material comprises one of the following: titanium dioxide (TiO2) or niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5); the low-RI inorganic material comprises one of the following: silicon dioxide (SiO2) or magnesium fluoride (MgF2); the RI value range of the high-refractive-index (RI) UV-curable oligomers/monomers is RI = 1.55~1.75; the RI value range of the low-RI UV-curable oligomers/monomers is RI = 1.4~1.48; the RI value range of the high-RI inorganic material is RI = 1.8~2.5; and the RI value range of the low-RI inorganic material is RI = 1.2~1.45.

10: Plastic Panels

11: Plastic substrate

111: PC Sheet

112, 113: PMMA sheets

12: Hard layer

13: Optical functional layer

14: Printing Layer

Steps 21-27, 31-37, 3611-3614, 3621-3624, 3631-3634:

221, 221a: Plastic substrate

222, 223: Molds

229: Bend

361~364: Stage

41: Plastic substrate

42, 43: Molds

420a, 420b, 430a, 430b: Joints

4201, 4301: Linear guide rails

421, 431: Heaters

422, 432: Temperature Sensors

49: Bend

50: Curved Surface Hot Press Device

51: Machine Body

52: Door panel

53, 54: Hydraulic Devices

531, 541: Mold locking mechanism

55: Camera

60: Control Unit

61: Heating Module

62: Temperature Sensing Module

63: Drive unit

64: Image Capture Module

65:Database

66: Analysis Module

67: Control Module

68: Power Module

69: Human-Computer Interface

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a typical curved plastic panel.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the processing method for learning to use curved plastic panels.

Figures 3A, 3B, and 3C are schematic diagrams of three steps in a conventional method for hot-pressing a planar plastic substrate into a curved plastic substrate.

Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating the processing method of the curved plastic panel of this invention.

Figures 5A, 5B, 5C, and 5D are schematic diagrams illustrating several processes of hot-pressing a planar plastic substrate into a curved plastic substrate according to the present invention.

Figure 5E is a top view of the upper (or lower) mold of the curved surface hot pressing device described in this invention.

Figure 6 is a schematic flowchart illustrating the real-time monitoring of local temperature and curvature forming status of the curved surface hot pressing device described in this invention.

Figures 7A and 7B are schematic diagrams of an embodiment of the processing apparatus for curved plastic panels of the present invention in the open and closed states of the door panel, respectively.

Figures 8A and 8B are schematic diagrams of the variable curvature upper and lower molds of the curved surface hot pressing device of the present invention in a planar state and a bent state, respectively.

This invention provides a method for processing curved plastic panels. The method involves first forming a rigid layer, an optical functional layer, and a printed layer on a flat plastic substrate. Then, a CNC cutting machine is used to cut the flat plastic substrate into a predetermined shape. Finally, a curved hot pressing device is used to perform curved hot pressing processing, resulting in a curved plastic substrate with the rigid layer, optical functional layer, and printed layer, and the predetermined shape. This processing method can produce multifunctional polymer material panels for partially or fully curved displays, and also possesses the advantages of optical functionality (anti-reflection or anti-glare) and safety against cracking. Furthermore, since the processing of the hard layer, optical functional layer, printed layer, and CNC cutting is all performed on a planar plastic substrate, the yield rate is very high, overcoming various shortcomings of prior art. The curved hot pressing device of this invention can perform hot pressing simultaneously during the heating process, and has the function of real-time monitoring of local temperature and real-time monitoring of local curvature forming status, and then feeding back to the heating local mechanism for adjustment. Temperature and curvature monitoring can be divided into multiple stages, with each stage monitored and adjusted for heating or curvature forming. This improves the production yield of hot-pressing a planar plastic substrate with a rigid layer, optical functional layer, and printed layer into a curved plastic panel, and enables hot-pressing of fully curved or partially curved plastic panels. This invention also provides the material composition of the rigid layer and optical functional layer of the plastic panel. Through polymer material formulation, coating formulation design, and precision coating technology, the surface extensibility of the polymer can be enhanced to a level suitable for hot bending, and the original optical and physical properties can be maintained after passing various weather resistance tests.

To more clearly describe the curved, translucent plastic sheet structure and its manufacturing method proposed in this invention, a detailed explanation with accompanying drawings will follow.

The curved plastic panel described in this invention, structurally similar to the typical plastic panel 10 used in curved automotive displays as shown in Figure 1, also includes: a plastic substrate 11, a hard coating 12 (HC), an optical functional layer 13, and a printed layer 14. The plastic substrate 11 can be made of a single-layer PC sheet, a single-layer PMMA sheet, a co-extruded PMMA/PC double-layer composite sheet, a co-extruded PMMA/PC/PMMA triple-layer composite sheet, or other known plastic sheet structures. In this embodiment, the plastic substrate 11 is made of polycarbonate (PC) sheet 111 as the main layer, and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) sheets 112 and 113 are respectively disposed on the upper and lower surfaces of the PC sheet 111 to enhance its physical properties. The rigid layer 12 is usually formed on the outer surface (upper surface) of the plastic substrate 11, or the rigid layer 12 is disposed on both the outer and inner surfaces (upper and lower surfaces) to improve the wear resistance of the plastic panel 10. In this embodiment, the rigid layer 12 comprises at least one of the following: an organic-inorganic hybrid ultraviolet-cured oligomer/monomer, an inorganic particle material, or an ultraviolet-cured long-chain oligomer/monomer with high elongation (elongation >200%); wherein the organic-inorganic hybrid ultraviolet-cured oligomer/monomer comprises one of the following: a high glass transition temperature (Tg) and its Tg UV-curable elastic oligomers at 120℃, or high Tg monomers (Tg (240℃). The optical functional layer 13 is typically formed on the outer surface of the rigid layer 12 to improve the optical performance of the plastic panel 10, such as, but not limited to, functions such as UV resistance, anti-glare, and anti-reflection. In this embodiment, the optical functional layer 13 comprises at least one of the following: a high refractive index (RI) UV-curable oligomer/monomer, a high RI inorganic material, a low RI UV-curable oligomer/monomer, or a low RI inorganic material; wherein the high RI inorganic material comprises one of the following: titanium dioxide ( _TiO2 ) or niobium pentoxide ( _Nb2O5 ); and the low RI inorganic material comprises one of the following: silicon dioxide ( _SiO2 ) or magnesium fluoride _{( MgF2} ). The printed layer 14 is typically printed with colored ink on the inner surface of the plastic substrate 11 to represent the functional indicators of the in-vehicle display. While the plastic panel 10 of this invention is structurally similar to the prior art, this invention is particularly unique in its choice of materials for the rigid layer 12 and the optical functional layer 13, using materials with high Tg values (Tg... A material formulation with high elongation properties (elongation > 200%) and a temperature of 120℃. This is achieved by using a high Tg value (Tg) in the hard layer 12. UV-curable elastic oligomers or high Tg monomers (Tg) at 120℃ The material formulation (240℃) provides a moldable curved plastic panel 10 with high impact resistance, high flexibility, and stability under high temperature conditions, which can improve the reliability of high-temperature environmental testing or high-temperature and high-humidity environmental testing. By using a material formulation of UV-curable long-chain oligomers or monomers with high elongation characteristics (elongation rate >200%) in the rigid layer 12, the moldable curved plastic panel 10 can be provided with high elongation characteristics and high-temperature moldability, avoiding cracking or uneven thickness of the optical functional layer 13 during hot pressing.

In this invention, the hard layer 12 (HC) is formulated with a mixture of organic and inorganic UV-cured oligomers. Compared to traditional high-crosslink-density HC formulations, it has a relatively low crosslink-density, resulting in a wear-resistant hard layer 12 with lower shrinkage and better flexibility. The inorganic materials contribute to the surface physical properties, giving the coating high hardness and high wear resistance. Furthermore, the hard layer 12 (HC) formulation of this invention includes high-Tg UV-cured elastomer oligomers and high-Tg monomers, exhibiting better high-temperature stability compared to traditional high-crosslink-density HC formulations. Therefore, it has better thermoformability during high-temperature processes, allowing the UV-cured moldable polymer front panel material to be bent into a free curvature. The rigid layer 12 (HC) of this invention comprises UV-curable long-chain oligomers or monomers with high elongation (>200%). Compared to traditional HC formulations with high cross-linking density, it exhibits superior elongation, thus providing better thermoformability during hot pressing. This allows the UV-cured moldable polymer front panel material to be bent into a free curvature. Before hot pressing, the flat plastic panel 10 of this invention, consisting of the rigid layer 12 and the optical functional layer 13, undergoes planar ink printing and planar CNC machining. Then, combined with the curved hot pressing process of this invention, a curved finished product with optical functions can be directly produced after hot pressing. Unlike conventional curved front panel production processes, which involve hot pressing, surface treatment, optical processing, printing, and CNC machining, where each stage of the process suffers from poor yield and low first-pass yield, leading to high production costs, this invention achieves higher yield and first-pass yield because all processing steps are completed on a flat surface. In this embodiment, the RI value range of the high refractive index (RI) UV-curable oligomer/monomer is RI=1.55~1.75; the RI value range of the low RI UV-curable oligomer/monomer is RI=1.4~1.48; the RI value range of the high RI inorganic material is RI=1.8~2.5; and the RI value range of the low RI inorganic material is RI=1.2~1.45. Anti-reflection is defined as: Reflectance < 2%; Anti-glare is defined as: Glossiness < 100.

Please refer to Figure 4, which is a schematic diagram of the processing method of the curved plastic panel of the present invention, including the following steps: Step 31: A flat plastic substrate (commonly known as a raw board) is produced by plastic extrusion molding; this plastic substrate may be a single-layer PC board, a single-layer PMMA board, a PMMA/PC double-layer composite board, or a PMMA/PC/PMMA triple-layer composite board; Step 32: The flat plastic substrate is subjected to HC surface treatment. To form an HC hard layer on the upper surface of the planar plastic substrate; because planar plastic substrates are easy to surface treat with HC, the yield is very high; Step 33: Perform an optical surface treatment on the planar plastic substrate to form an optical functional layer on the HC hard layer of the planar plastic substrate; because planar plastic substrates are easy to surface treat with optical, the yield is very high; Step 34: Perform a printing process on the planar plastic substrate to form an optical functional layer on the planar plastic substrate. A printed layer is formed on the lower surface; because the planar plastic substrate is easy to print on, the yield is very high; Step 35: The planar plastic substrate is machined using a planar computer numerical control (CNC) machining machine (cutting machine) to cut the planar plastic substrate into a planar plastic substrate with a predetermined outline; because the planar plastic substrate is easy to machine using planar CNC cutting, the yield is very high; Step 36: The already formed layer is pressed onto the lower surface using a curved hot pressing device. The planar plastic substrate, comprising the rigid layer, the optical functional layer, and the printed layer, and having the predetermined shape, undergoes curved hot pressing processing to form a curved plastic substrate with the rigid layer, the optical functional layer, and the printed layer, and having the predetermined shape; Step 37: The finished curved plastic panel is completed; Because the processing yields of steps 32 to 35 are very high, the final finished product also has high yield and precision, and can pass subsequent product testing.

Figures 5A, 5B, 5C, and 5D are schematic diagrams illustrating several processes of hot-pressing a planar plastic substrate into a curved plastic substrate according to the present invention. The processing method of the present invention uses a curved hot-pressing device to perform curved hot-pressing processing on the planar plastic substrate that has formed the hard layer, the optical functional layer, and the printed layer and has the predetermined shape, so as to make it into a curved plastic substrate 41 that has the hard layer, the optical functional layer, and the printed layer and has the predetermined shape. The curved surface hot pressing device includes: an upper mold 42 with variable curvature, a lower mold 43 with variable curvature, a plurality of upper heaters 421, a plurality of upper temperature sensors 422, a plurality of lower heaters 431, and a plurality of lower temperature sensors 432. Figure 5E is a top view of the upper mold (or lower mold) of the curved surface hot pressing device described in this invention. In this embodiment, the plurality of upper heaters 421 and the plurality of upper temperature sensors 422 are uniformly and alternately distributed in an array in various regions of the upper mold 42, and the plurality of lower heaters 431 and the plurality of lower temperature sensors 432 are uniformly and alternately distributed in an array in various regions of the lower mold 43. The upper mold 42 and the lower mold 43 have corresponding and matching external structures, and their curvatures can be adjusted at least locally. In this embodiment, the curved hot pressing apparatus performs curved hot pressing processing on the flat plastic substrate 41 using the following steps: As shown in Figure 5A, firstly, the curvature of the upper mold 42 and the lower mold 43 is adjusted to be flat (curvature = 0), and the flat plastic substrate 41 is sandwiched between the upper mold 42 and the lower mold 43. The temperature of the flat plastic substrate 41 is heated to a predetermined temperature using a plurality of upper heaters 421 and a plurality of lower heaters 431. A plurality of upper temperature sensors 422 and a plurality of lower temperature sensors 432 are used to sense, confirm, or feedback control to ensure that the temperature of each area of the flat plastic substrate 41 is maintained at the predetermined temperature.

As shown in Figure 5B, the curvature of the upper mold 42 and the lower mold 43 is then adjusted to a first curvature (a relatively small curvature), so that the flat plastic substrate 41 sandwiched between the upper mold 42 and the lower mold 43 is formed into a curved plastic substrate 41 with the first curvature by hot pressing with the upper mold 42 and the lower mold 43; simultaneously, the plurality of upper temperature sensors 422 and the plurality of lower temperature sensors 432 continue to sense, confirm, and feedback control to maintain the temperature of each region of the curved plastic substrate 41 with the first curvature at the predetermined temperature.

As shown in Figure 5C, the curvature of the upper mold 42 and the lower mold 43 is then adjusted to a second curvature (a relatively larger curvature), so that the curved plastic substrate 41 sandwiched between the upper mold 42 and the lower mold 43 is hot-pressed by the upper mold 42 and the lower mold 43 to form the curved plastic substrate 41 with the second curvature; simultaneously, the plurality of upper temperature sensors 422 and the plurality of lower temperature sensors 432 continue to sense and confirm that the temperature of each region of the curved plastic substrate 41 with the second curvature is maintained at the predetermined temperature; wherein, the curvature of the second curvature is greater than the first curvature.

As shown in Figure 5D, once the curvature of the curved plastic substrate 41 (i.e., the curvature of the upper mold 42 and the lower mold 43) reaches the predetermined curvature, the upper and lower molds 42 and 43 can be opened and the curved plastic substrate 41 with the predetermined curvature can be removed. Since the curved hot pressing device of the present invention is equipped with multiple heaters 421 and 431 and temperature sensors 422 and 432 respectively in the upper and lower molds 42 and 43 for heating and temperature control, each heater 421 and 431 and temperature sensor 422 and 432 can operate independently to control the temperature. Therefore, the temperature of each area of the plastic substrate 41 is very stable and uniform during the hot pressing process. Furthermore, the curved hot pressing device can perform hot pressing molding simultaneously during the heating process, and has the function of real-time monitoring of local temperature and real-time monitoring of local curvature molding status, and then feeding back to the heating local mechanism for adjustment. Temperature and curvature monitoring can be divided into multiple stages, and each stage is monitored and heated or the curvature molding is adjusted to avoid stress concentration or hard layer cracking at the bend 49 of the curved plastic substrate 41, and to improve production yield. This invention further enhances the malleability of polymer surfaces (especially rigid layers) to a level suitable for hot bending through polymer material formulation, coating formulation design, and precision coating technology. Even after hot-pressing curved plastic panels and passing various weather resistance tests, the original optical and physical properties are maintained.

Please refer to Figure 6, which is a flowchart illustrating the real-time monitoring of local temperature and curvature forming status of the curved surface hot pressing device described in this invention. As shown in Figure 6, and in conjunction with Figures 5A to 5D, in the hot pressing curved surface forming process, firstly, in the first stage (1st ^... In Step 361, as shown in Figure 5A, the upper and lower molds 42 and 43 are still in a low-temperature and flat (curvature 0) state. At this time, multiple heaters 421 and 431 are used to locally heat different parts of the plastic substrate (Step 3611), and multiple temperature sensors 422 and 432 are used to locally detect the temperature of different parts of the plastic substrate. If any temperature sensor 422 or 432 detects that the temperature of any part (area) has not reached the preset temperature, it will send feedback to control the corresponding heating. Heaters 421 and 431 are used for heating (step 3612) until every part (area) of the plastic substrate reaches the predetermined temperature; simultaneously, the curved hot pressing device also uses a curvature sensor to monitor the curvature of various local positions of the upper and lower molds 42 and 43 in real time (step 3613). If the curvature of any part (area) is detected to be below the first curvature, feedback control is sent to the upper and lower molds 42 and 43 to perform local bending of that part (step 3614) until every part (area) of the plastic substrate reaches the first curvature. Then, the second stage (2nd ⁾ begins. Step 362: At this point, as shown in Figure 5B, the upper and lower molds 42 and 43 are maintained at the predetermined temperature and have a relatively small initial curvature. Meanwhile, multiple heaters 421 and 431 continue to locally heat various parts of the plastic substrate (Step 3621), and multiple temperature sensors 422 and 432 continue to locally sense the temperature of various parts of the plastic substrate. If any temperature sensor 422 or 432 detects that the temperature of any part (area) has not reached the predetermined temperature, it sends feedback control to the corresponding heater 421 or 431 to perform heating. (Step 3622) This continues until every part (region) of the plastic substrate reaches and maintains a predetermined temperature. Simultaneously, the curved hot pressing device continues to monitor the curvature of various local positions of the upper and lower molds 42 and 43 in real time using a curvature sensor (Step 3623). If the curvature of any part (region) is detected as not reaching the second curvature, feedback control is sent to the upper and lower molds 42 and 43 to perform local bending of that part (Step 3624) until every part (region) of the plastic substrate reaches the second curvature; wherein the second curvature is greater than the first curvature. Only then will the third stage (3rd ^step) begin. Step 363: At this point, as shown in Figure 5C, the upper and lower molds 42 and 43 are maintained at the predetermined temperature and have a relatively large second curvature. Meanwhile, multiple heaters 421 and 431 continue to locally heat various parts of the plastic substrate (Step 3631), and multiple temperature sensors 422 and 432 continue to locally sense the temperature of various parts of the plastic substrate. If any temperature sensor 422 or 432 detects that the temperature of any part (area) has not reached the predetermined temperature, it sends feedback control to the corresponding heater 421 or 431 to heat it (Step 3631). Step 3632) continues until every part (region) of the plastic substrate reaches and maintains a predetermined temperature; simultaneously, the curved hot pressing device continues to monitor the curvature of each local position of the upper and lower molds 42 and 43 in real time using a curvature sensor (step 3633). If the curvature of any part (region) is detected to be below the predetermined curvature, the upper and lower molds 42 and 43 are fed back to perform local bending of that part (step 3634) until every part (region) of the plastic substrate reaches the predetermined curvature; wherein the predetermined curvature is greater than or equal to a second curvature. Finally, a finished curved plastic panel with a predetermined curvature is obtained (fourth stage 364).

Please refer to Figures 7A and 7B, which are schematic diagrams of an embodiment of the curved plastic panel processing apparatus of the present invention in the open and closed states of the door panel, respectively. In this embodiment, the curved plastic panel processing apparatus of the present invention includes the curved hot pressing device. In addition to the aforementioned variable curvature upper mold 42, variable curvature lower mold 43, a plurality of upper heaters 421, a plurality of upper temperature sensors 422, a plurality of lower heaters 431, and a plurality of lower temperature sensors 432, the curved hot pressing device 50 further includes the following components: a machine body 51, an openable and closable door panel 52, a plurality of hydraulic devices 53 and 54, a plurality of cameras 55, and a control unit 60. The control unit 60 further includes: a heating module 61, a detection module (including a temperature sensing module 62 and an image capture module 64), a driving device 63, a database 65, an analysis module 66, a control module 67, a power module 68, and a human-machine interface 69.

In this embodiment, the door panel 52 is mounted on the machine body 51. When the door panel 52 is open (as shown in Figure 7A), the flat plastic substrate 41 to be hot-pressed can be placed between the upper and lower molds 42 and 43 inside the machine body 51, or the processed curved plastic substrate 41 can be removed from the machine body 51 from between the upper and lower molds 42 and 43; and when the door panel 52 is closed (as shown in Figure 7B), hot-pressing bending processing can be performed on the plastic substrate 41. The upper and lower molds 42 and 43 are respectively connected to a plurality of hydraulic devices 53 and 54 via mold locking mechanisms 531 and 541. A driving device 63 drives the hydraulic devices 53 and 54 to provide pushing and pulling forces to the upper and lower molds 42 and 43, thereby applying pressure or partially bending (changing curvature) to the upper and lower molds, and thus performing hot-press bending processing on the plastic substrate 41 sandwiched between the upper and lower molds 42 and 43.

A plurality of cameras 55 constitute a curvature sensor, which can capture (photograph) the curvature (appearance) images of the upper and lower molds 42 and 43 in real time during the hot pressing bending process. By analyzing the curvature (appearance) images of the upper and lower molds 42 and 43, the bending state, i.e., the curvature state, of the plastic substrate 41 sandwiched between the upper and lower molds 42 and 43 at that time can be obtained, and then it can be determined in real time whether the curvature of the curved plastic substrate 41 has reached the predetermined curvature. The heating module 61 is electrically connected to a plurality of the upper heaters 421 and a plurality of the lower heaters 431, and is used to control the heating operation of the plurality of upper heaters 421 and the plurality of lower heaters 431. The detection module further includes a temperature sensing module 62 and an image capture module 64. The temperature sensing module 62 is electrically connected to a plurality of upper temperature sensors 422 and a plurality of lower temperature sensors 432, used to obtain temperature information sensed by the plurality of upper temperature sensors 422 and the plurality of lower temperature sensors 432. The image capture module 64 is electrically connected to a plurality of cameras 55, used to capture curvature (appearance) images of the upper mold 42 and the lower mold 43 captured by the plurality of cameras 55. The database 65 stores the computer software and related parameters required to control the operation of the curved surface hot pressing device 50, including data on the predetermined temperature and the predetermined curvature.

The analysis module 66 can receive the temperature information and curvature image from the detection module, and can retrieve the data of the predetermined temperature and the predetermined curvature from the database 65. The analysis module 66 can compare the temperature information with the predetermined temperature. When the temperature of the temperature information is lower than the predetermined temperature, the analysis module 66 generates a heating signal to the heating module 61, causing the heating module 61 to control a plurality of the upper heaters 421 and a plurality of the lower heaters 431 to heat the plastic substrate 41. The heating operation described here can be either comprehensive or localized. In other words, based on the heating signal from the analysis module 66, the heating module 61 can control all the heaters to comprehensively heat the plastic substrate 41. On the other hand, the heating module 61 can also control only a few heaters to locally heat the plastic substrate 41 based on the heating signal from the analysis module 66. This function is not achievable with prior art. In addition, the analysis module 66 can compare the curvature image with the predetermined curvature. When the curvature of the curvature image is less than the predetermined curvature, the analysis module 66 generates a curvature increase signal to the drive device 63, causing the drive device 63 to drive the hydraulic devices 53 and 54 to drive the upper mold 42 and the lower mold 43 to perform a hot pressing operation that increases the bending curvature comprehensively or locally. The human-machine interface 69 provides a user interface and allows the user to input or set information such as the predetermined temperature and the predetermined curvature into the database 65. In this embodiment, the human-machine interface 69 includes a port for connection to an external computer device. The user can use the computer device to transmit and store the predetermined temperature, predetermined curvature, and other processing parameters in the database 65 through the human-machine interface 69. In another embodiment, the human-machine interface 69 may also include a touch screen and/or keyboard. The user can use the touch screen and/or keyboard to set the predetermined temperature, predetermined curvature, and other processing parameters in the database 65. The control module 67 includes a microcontroller (MCU) or a central processing unit (CPU), which is electrically connected to and controls the operation of the drive device 63, the heating module 61, the detection module, the database 65, the analysis module 66, and the human-machine interface 69. A power module 68 is connected to the control module 67 to provide power to the control unit 60.

Please refer to Figures 8A and 8B, which are schematic diagrams of the variable curvature upper and lower molds of the curved hot pressing device of the present invention in a planar state and a bent state, respectively. In the present invention, the upper and lower molds 42 and 43 of the curved hot pressing device 50 are both variable curvature; and the upper and lower molds 42 and 43 need to be specifically designed internally according to the bending drawing of the curved plastic panel to be produced, and the relative motion of the upper and lower molds 42 and 43 is achieved by using linear slide rails to drive torque to achieve the purpose of bending the upper and lower molds 42 and 43. In one embodiment, the upper mold 42 includes at least a first upper template located on the left, a second upper template located in the middle, and a third upper template located on the right. The first upper template and the second upper template are connected by a first upper joint 420a, allowing the first upper template to adjust its curvature relative to the second upper template via the first upper joint 420a. The second upper template and the third upper template are connected by a second upper joint 420b, allowing the third upper template to adjust its curvature relative to the second upper template via the second upper joint 420b. Similarly, the lower mold 43 includes at least a first lower template located on the left, a second lower template located in the middle, and a third lower template located on the right. The first lower template and the second lower template are connected by a first lower joint 430a, allowing the first lower template to adjust its curvature relative to the second lower template via the first lower joint 430a. The second lower template and the third lower template are connected by a second lower joint 430b, allowing the third lower template to adjust its curvature relative to the second lower template via the second lower joint 430b. The shape and position of the first upper template correspond to the first lower template, the shape and position of the second upper template correspond to the second lower template, and the shape and position of the third upper template correspond to the third lower template. An upper heater 421 and an upper temperature sensor 422 are respectively provided in the first upper template, the second upper template, and the third upper template; a lower heater 431 and a lower temperature sensor 432 are respectively provided in the first lower template, the second lower template, and the third lower template. Each of the first upper joint 420a, the second upper joint 420b, the first lower joint 430a, and the second lower joint 430b includes a linear slide rail 4201, 4301, respectively. The bending curvature between two adjacent templates is adjusted by using the torque generated by the linear slide rails 4201, 4301.

This technology uses PMMA/PC/PMMA or PMMA/PC composite materials as the base material, combined with a stretchable coating formulation and wet coating process to produce stretchable composite material front panels. Hot pressing and curving can be performed after all surface treatments are completed, and no appearance or functional abnormalities occur during this process stage. The key to this breakthrough lies in the combination of stretchable coating formulations, which include: stretchable high-hardness coatings, stretchable high-refractive-index coatings, and stretchable low-refractive-index coatings. The stretchable coating formulations can change the original process where glass must first undergo curved hot pressing before optical surface treatment, significantly reducing the defect rate of curved surface coating processes. The surface hardness of the stretchable composite front panel, after hot pressing, can be increased to above 4H (4H~9H). Chemical abrasion resistance testing meets automotive-grade standards, and UV yellowing resistance testing (1000 hours) maintains a ΔE < 3.

This invention tests various plastic substrates with different structures and rigid and optical functional layers composed of different materials. Table 1 below shows the structural information of each sample tested. For example, for the substrate of Sample 6 in Table 1, either the A3/A4 structure (PMMA/PC double-layer structure) or the PMMA/PC/PMMA triple-layer structure can be selected in column A; in column B, whether or not "Inorganic hybrid composition" is added to its rigid layer is selected as B2, which means "Inorganic hybrid composition" is added; in column C, whether or not "High Tg composition" is added to its rigid layer is selected as C2, which means "High Tg composition" is added; and in column D, whether or not "High Elongation" is added to its rigid layer is selected as... For "Composition (high elongation oligomer/monomer)," select D2, which means "High Elongation Composition added." For field E, whether "Optical Function Composition" is added to the optical functional layer, select E2, which means "Optical Function Composition added." For field F, whether the invention's unique "novel mold and hot-pressing process" is used, select F2, which means "Novel mold and hot-pressing process used." The structures of the other samples (Samples 0-5, 8, and 9) can be deduced similarly and will not be elaborated upon.

As shown in Table 1, Sample 6, with its curved plastic panel, exhibits good hardness, heat resistance, and moldability, and also possesses optical properties, making it the relatively best curved plastic panel sample. In contrast, other samples 0-5, 8, and 9 all have some degree of deficiency.

In this embodiment, the material compositions described in each of the columns A through E can be selected from currently commercially available products. For example, the "Inorganic hybrid composition" described in column B can be Allenx EBECRYL 8311 or other similar products of the same type or brand; the "High Tg composition" described in column C can be Allenx EBECRYL 4859 or other similar products of the same type or brand; the "High Elongation Composition" described in column D can be Allenx EBECRYL 8804 or other similar products of the same type or brand; and the "Optical Function Composition" described in column E can be Nippon Shokubai ZIRCOSTAR series or other similar products of the same type or brand.

As shown in Table 2 above, the test results of the curved plastic panel samples show that Sample 6, because it uses PC/PMMA or PMMA/PC/PMMA composite material as the plastic substrate, and has a rigid layer and an optical functional layer containing organic-inorganic hybrid oligomers/monomers with high Tg and high elongation characteristics, and uses the "novel mold and hot pressing process" unique to this invention for curved hot pressing, similar to the embodiments shown in Figures 4, 5A-5C and 6, achieved excellent or good performance in all tests. In contrast, the other samples (Samples 0-5, 7 and 8) showed poor performance in some test items to varying degrees. This demonstrates that the curved plastic panel manufactured using the processing method of this invention does indeed achieve better test results compared to prior art.

However, the embodiments described above should not be used to limit the scope of application of this invention. The scope of protection of this invention shall be primarily defined by the technical spirit and equivalent variations thereof as defined in the patent application. That is, all equivalent variations and modifications made within the scope of the patent application will not deviate from the essence of this invention, nor will they depart from its spirit and scope; therefore, they should all be considered further embodiments of this invention.

Steps 31-37: Substrate

Claims (11)

A method for processing a curved plastic panel includes: providing a planar plastic substrate; forming a planar hard layer on at least one surface of the planar plastic substrate. Coating (abbreviated as HC); forming a planar optical functional layer on the rigid layer of the planar plastic substrate; forming a planar printed layer on at least one surface of the planar plastic substrate; cutting the planar plastic substrate into a planar plastic substrate with a predetermined shape using a cutting machine; and performing a curved hot pressing process on the planar plastic substrate with the rigid layer, optical functional layer, and printed layer formed thereon and having the predetermined shape using a curved hot pressing device, so as to make it a curved plastic substrate with the rigid layer, optical functional layer, and printed layer and having the predetermined shape; wherein, the curved A surface hot pressing apparatus includes: an upper mold with variable curvature, a lower mold with variable curvature, a plurality of upper heaters, a plurality of upper temperature sensors, a plurality of lower heaters, and a plurality of lower temperature sensors; the plurality of upper heaters and the plurality of upper temperature sensors are distributed in various areas of the upper mold, and the plurality of lower heaters and the plurality of lower temperature sensors are distributed in various areas of the lower mold; the upper mold and the lower mold are correspondingly fitted and each can at least partially adjust its curvature; the curved surface hot pressing apparatus performs curved surface hot pressing processing on the flat plastic substrate by the following steps: adjusting the curvature of the upper mold and the lower mold to be flat, and The planar plastic substrate is sandwiched between the upper mold and the lower mold, and the temperature of the planar plastic substrate is heated to a predetermined temperature by a plurality of upper heaters and a plurality of lower heaters. A plurality of upper temperature sensors and a plurality of lower temperature sensors are used to sense and confirm that the temperature of each area of the planar plastic substrate is maintained at the predetermined temperature. The curvature of the upper mold and the lower mold is adjusted to a first curvature, so that the planar plastic substrate sandwiched between the upper mold and the lower mold is processed by the upper mold and the lower mold into a curved plastic substrate with the first curvature. Simultaneously, the plurality of upper temperature sensors and the plurality of lower temperature sensors... The lower temperature sensors continue to sense and confirm that the temperature of each region of the curved plastic substrate with the first curvature is maintained at the predetermined temperature; and the curvature of the upper mold and the lower mold is adjusted to a second curvature, such that the curved plastic substrate sandwiched between the upper mold and the lower mold is processed by the upper mold and the lower mold into a curved plastic substrate with the second curvature; simultaneously, the plurality of upper temperature sensors and the plurality of lower temperature sensors continue to sense and confirm that the temperature of each region of the curved plastic substrate with the second curvature is maintained at the predetermined temperature; wherein the curvature of the second curvature is greater than the first curvature. As in the processing method of the curved plastic panel in claim 1, the curved pressing device further includes a plurality of cameras for capturing curvature images of the upper mold and the lower mold, thereby determining whether the curvature of the curved plastic substrate has reached a predetermined curvature. The processing method for the curved plastic panel as described in claim 1, wherein: the upper mold includes at least a first upper template, a second upper template, and a third upper template; the first upper template and the second upper template are connected by a first upper joint, allowing the first upper template to perform curvature adjustment relative to the second upper template via the first upper joint; the second upper template and the third upper template are connected by a second upper joint, allowing the third upper template to perform curvature adjustment relative to the second upper template via the second upper joint; the lower mold includes at least a first lower template, a second lower template, and a third upper template. Three lower templates; the first lower template and the second lower template are connected by a first lower joint, allowing the first lower template to adjust its curvature relative to the second lower template via the first lower joint; the second lower template and the third lower template are connected by a second lower joint, allowing the third lower template to adjust its curvature relative to the second lower template via the second lower joint; wherein, the shape and position of the first upper template correspond to the first lower template, the shape and position of the second upper template correspond to the second lower template, and the shape and position of the third upper template correspond to the third lower template. For example, in the processing method of the curved plastic panel in claim 3, an upper heater and an upper temperature sensor are respectively provided in the first upper template, the second upper template, and the third upper template; a lower heater and a lower temperature sensor are respectively provided in the first lower template, the second lower template, and the third lower template; each of the first upper joint, the second upper joint, the first lower joint, and the second lower joint includes a linear slide rail, and the curvature between two adjacent templates is adjusted by means of torque driven by the linear slide rail. For example, the processing method of the curved plastic panel in claim 1, wherein: the material composition of the plastic substrate of the plane is one of the following: polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) sheet, polycarbonate (PC) sheet, PMMA/PC double-layer composite sheet, or PMMA/PC/PMMA triple-layer composite sheet; the composition of the rigid layer includes at least one of the following: organic-inorganic hybrid ultraviolet oligomer/monomer, inorganic particle material, or ultraviolet-cured long-chain oligomer/monomer with high elongation characteristics (elongation >200%); wherein the organic-inorganic hybrid ultraviolet oligomer/monomer includes one of the following: high glass transition temperature (Tg) and its Tg UV-curable elastic oligomers at 120℃, or high Tg monomers (Tg (240℃); the optical functional layer comprises at least one of the following: a high refractive index (RI) UV-curable oligomer/monomer, a high RI inorganic material, a low RI UV-curable oligomer/monomer, or a low RI inorganic material; wherein the high RI inorganic material comprises one of the following: titanium dioxide ( _TiO2 ) or niobium pentoxide ( _Nb2O5 ); the low RI inorganic material comprises one of the following: silicon dioxide ( _SiO2 ) or magnesium fluoride (MgF2 _{) .} The high refractive index (RI) UV-curable oligomer/monomer has an RI value range of 1.55 to 1.75; the low RI UV-curable oligomer/monomer has an RI value range of 1.4 to 1.48; the high RI inorganic material has an RI value range of 1.8 to 2.5; and the low RI inorganic material has an RI value range of 1.2 to 1.45. A processing apparatus for curved plastic panels includes a curved hot pressing device; the curved hot pressing device includes: an upper mold with variable curvature, a lower mold with variable curvature, a plurality of upper heaters, a plurality of upper temperature sensors, a plurality of lower heaters, and a plurality of lower temperature sensors; the plurality of upper heaters and the plurality of upper temperature sensors are distributed in various areas of the upper mold, and the plurality of lower heaters and the plurality of lower temperature sensors are distributed in various areas of the lower mold; the upper mold and the lower mold are... Correspondingly matched and at least partially adjustable in curvature; the curved hot pressing apparatus performs curved hot pressing processing on a flat plastic substrate using the following steps: adjusting the curvature of the upper mold and the lower mold to be flat, clamping the flat plastic substrate between the upper mold and the lower mold, and heating the flat plastic substrate to a predetermined temperature using a plurality of upper heaters and a plurality of lower heaters, and using a plurality of upper temperature sensors and a plurality of lower temperature sensors to sense and confirm... The temperature of each region of the planar plastic substrate is maintained at the predetermined temperature; the curvature of the upper mold and the lower mold is adjusted to a first curvature, so that the planar plastic substrate sandwiched between the upper mold and the lower mold is processed by the upper mold and the lower mold into a curved plastic substrate with the first curvature; at the same time, a plurality of upper temperature sensors and a plurality of lower temperature sensors continue to sense and confirm that the temperature of each region of the curved plastic substrate with the second curvature is maintained at the predetermined temperature. A predetermined temperature is maintained; and the curvature of the upper mold and the lower mold is adjusted to a second curvature, such that the curved plastic substrate sandwiched between the upper mold and the lower mold is processed by the upper mold and the lower mold into a curved plastic substrate with the second curvature; simultaneously, a plurality of upper temperature sensors and a plurality of lower temperature sensors continue to sense and confirm that the temperature of each region of the curved plastic substrate with the second curvature is maintained at the predetermined temperature; wherein the curvature of the second curvature is greater than the first curvature. As in claim 6, the processing apparatus for a curved plastic panel, wherein the curved hot pressing apparatus further includes a plurality of cameras for capturing curvature images of the upper mold and the lower mold, thereby determining whether the curvature of the curved plastic substrate has reached a predetermined curvature. As in claim 6, the processing apparatus for curved plastic panels includes: the upper mold comprising at least a first upper template, a second upper template, and a third upper template; the first upper template and the second upper template are connected by a first upper joint, allowing the first upper template to perform curvature adjustment relative to the second upper template via the first upper joint; the second upper template and the third upper template are connected by a second upper joint, allowing the third upper template to perform curvature adjustment relative to the second upper template via the second upper joint; the lower mold comprises at least a first lower template, a second lower template, and a third upper template. The lower template is composed of two parts: a first lower template and a second lower template, connected by a first lower joint, allowing the first lower template to adjust its curvature relative to the second lower template; and a second lower template and a third lower template, connected by a second lower joint, allowing the third lower template to adjust its curvature relative to the second lower template. The shape and position of the first upper template correspond to the first lower template, the shape and position of the second upper template correspond to the second lower template, and the shape and position of the third upper template correspond to the third lower template. For example, in the processing apparatus for curved plastic panels as described in claim 8, an upper heater and an upper temperature sensor are respectively provided in the first upper template, the second upper template, and the third upper template; a lower heater and a lower temperature sensor are respectively provided in the first lower template, the second lower template, and the third lower template; each of the first upper joint, the second upper joint, the first lower joint, and the second lower joint includes a linear slide rail, and the curvature between adjacent templates is adjusted by means of torque driven by the linear slide rail. As in claim 7, the curved plastic panel processing apparatus further includes: a driving device for driving the upper mold and the lower mold to perform hot pressing; a heating module electrically connected to a plurality of the upper heaters and a plurality of the lower heaters for controlling the heating operation of the plurality of the upper heaters and the plurality of the lower heaters; and a detection module, which further includes a temperature sensing module and an image capturing module; the temperature sensing module is electrically connected to the plurality of the upper heaters and the plurality of the lower heaters. A plurality of upper temperature sensors and a plurality of lower temperature sensors are used to capture temperature information sensed by the plurality of upper temperature sensors and the plurality of lower temperature sensors; an image capture module is electrically connected to a plurality of cameras for capturing curvature images of the upper mold and the lower mold captured by the plurality of cameras; a database stores at least data on the predetermined temperature and the predetermined curvature; an analysis module is used to receive the temperature information and the curvature images from the detection module. The analysis module can retrieve data on the predetermined temperature and the predetermined curvature from the database. It can compare the temperature information with the predetermined temperature; when the temperature information is lower than the predetermined temperature, the analysis module generates a heating signal to the heating module, causing the heating module to control multiple upper and lower heaters to perform heating operations. The analysis module can also compare the curvature image with the predetermined curvature; when the curvature of the curvature image is less than the predetermined curvature... When the curvature is increased, the analysis module generates an increased curvature signal to the driving device, causing the driving device to drive the upper and lower molds to perform a hot pressing operation to increase the curvature; a human-machine interface provides a user interface for operation and allows the user to set the preset temperature and preset curvature in the database; and a control module electrically connected to and capable of controlling the driving device, the heating module, the detection module, the database, the analysis module, and the human-machine interface. A curved plastic panel manufactured by the processing method of claim 1, the curved plastic panel comprising: a plastic substrate, the plastic substrate being composed of one of the following materials: polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) sheet, polycarbonate (PC) sheet, PMMA/PC double-layer composite sheet, or PMMA/PC/PMMA triple-layer composite sheet; a rigid layer formed on at least one surface of the plastic substrate; the rigid layer comprising at least one of the following: an organic-inorganic hybrid ultraviolet-cured oligomer/monomer, inorganic particulate material, or a UV-curable long-chain oligomer/monomer with high elongation (elongation >200%); wherein the organic-inorganic hybrid ultraviolet-cured oligomer/monomer comprises one of the following: a high glass transition temperature (Glass Transition Temperature). Temperature (abbreviated as Tg) and its Tg UV-curable elastic oligomers at 120℃, or high Tg monomers (Tg (240℃); an optical functional layer is formed on the rigid layer; the optical functional layer comprises at least one of the following: a high refractive index (RI) UV-curable oligomer/monomer, a high RI inorganic material, a low RI UV-curable oligomer/monomer, or a low RI inorganic material; wherein the high RI inorganic material comprises one of the following: titanium dioxide ( _TiO2 ) or niobium pentoxide ( _Nb2O5 ); the low RI inorganic material comprises one of the following: silicon dioxide ( _SiO2 ) or magnesium fluoride (MgF2 _{) .} A printed layer is formed on at least one surface of the plastic substrate; wherein the RI value range of the high refractive index (RI) UV-curable oligomer/monomer is RI=1.55~1.75; the RI value range of the low RI UV-curable oligomer/monomer is RI=1.4~1.48; the RI value range of the high RI inorganic material is RI=1.8~2.5; and the RI value range of the low RI inorganic material is RI=1.2~1.45.